University of Richmond UR Scholarship Repository Master's Theses Student Research 2003 Restoring the light : ministry to German prisoners of war in America during the Second World War Melissa Weldon Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/masters-theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Weldon, Melissa, "Restoring the light : ministry to German prisoners of war in America during the Second World War" (2003). Master's Theses. Paper 1124. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Research at UR Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of UR Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. RESTORING THE LIGHT: MINISTRY TO GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN AMERICA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR Melissa Weldon Master of Arts degree in History University of Richmond 2003 Thesis Director: Professor John D. Treadway Abstract: In 1942, the United States committed itself to the retention of German prisoners of war on American soil. Over 350,000 German soldiers lived and worked in several hundred camps throughout the contiguous United States. These prisoners required not only food and shelter, but spiritual care as well. The Geneva Convention of 1929 granted prisoners of war the right to worship according to their faith. The United States government not only permitted, but also encouraged, ministry to the prisoners in its care. Relying on the assistance of international relief organizations and national church bodies, the Office of the Provost Marshal General arranged for Lutheran pastors and Catholic priests to counsel and minister to the captive Gennans. This thesis examines that ministry from several perspectives: the Office of the Provost Marshal General, the Catholic Church in America, the two major Lutheran synods in America, and the prisoners and clergy themselves. Each organization had its own agenda and purpose in providing for the spiritual needs of the prisoners. In addition to the work of these organizations, individual chaplains and civilian clergy devoted time and effort to counseling and preaching. Their experiences and recollections added a personal perspective to this multi-faceted undertaking. I certify that I have read this thesis and find that, in scope and quality, it satisfies the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. RESTORING THE LIGHT: MINISTRY TO GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN AMERICA DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR by MELISSA WELDON B.A., Concordia College - New York, 1998 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Richmond in Candidacy for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS m History May 2003 Richmond, Virginia L•BRARY UNIVERSITY-OF RICHMOND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Numerous people deserve recognition for their assistance and support in the completion of this thesis. First, I express my gratitude to the archivists at four separate archives across the country, especially Marvin Huggins at the Concordia Historical Institute in St. Louis, and Joel Thoreson at the Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Oak Park, Illinois. In addition, I would like to thank all the student archivists and library assistants who helped me make the hundreds of photocopies I required. Before I began this thesis, there were several professors who offered encouragement and support. Dr. Alan Steinberg, at Concordia College- New York, steered me in the direction of the University of Richmond. There, I encountered such learned, and personable, professors as Dr. John Gordon, Dr. Ernest Bolt, Dr. John Rilling and Dr. Bob Kenzer, as well as visiting professor, Patrick Collinson, Cambridge University. They continue to be an inspiration in my academic pursuits and my teaching career. In particular, I wish to profusely thank Dr. John Treadway for not only being an inspirational teacher, but also a caring and concerned advisor. Although, I am certain he must have, at least once, doubted the completion of this thesis, he helped me stay on the path to this goal. His support has exceeded mere editing and instructing. Without Dr. Treadway's assistance, this thesis would never have reached completion. Finally, I am eternally grateful to those friends and family who have offered continual support, over the past five years. Pamela Post kept me believing that I might 11 actually be a good enough writer to do this. David Payne inspired me to keep ahead of (or up with) him. Steven Romano prodded me when procrastination took over. Wendy Davidson supported me in everything and continues to do so. My mother and father have stood by me in every pursuit. They have made me an independent person and continually reminded me that I am more than capable of accomplishing all of my goals. All of the people involved in this cannot replace the grace and patience that God has given me to do great things. I pray that everything I do will be for His glory. lll CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . .......................... 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vi INTRODUCTION . 1 Chapter: 1. THE OFFICE OF THE PROVOST MARSHAL GENERAL AND THE INTELLECTUAL DIVERSION PROGRAM . 9 The Special Projects Division Internal Strife at the Special Projects Division 2. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THEWAR RELIEF SERVICES BRANCH OF THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WELFARE CONFERENCE . .29 War Relief Services The Catholic Church and the YMCA Serving the Prisoners of War Education of Prisoner Theologians Controversy After the War 3. THE LUTHERAN COMMISSION FOR PRISONERS OF WAR . .51 Book Distribution Building Germany's Spiritual Future Internal Disunity IV Competition and Cooperation After Repatriation 4. INTERNATIONAL RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER MISSIONARY EFFORTS .......................... 80 War Prisoners' Aid of the YMCA Other Denominations 5. CHAPLAINS, CIVILIAN PASTORS AND PRISONER CLERGY .....92 Clergy Controversies A Welcome Comfort Attendance at Services CONCLUSION ..................................... 114 BIBLIOGRAPHY . .119 v ABBREVIATIONS AEO Assistant Executive Officer LC-MS Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod LCPOW Lutheran Commission for Prisoners of War NCWC National Catholic Welfare Conference NLC National Lutheran Council OPMG Office of the Provost Marshal General POW Prisoner(s) of War SPD Special Projects Division Vl INTRODUCTION In the summer of 1944, Lance-Corporal Alois Heinzl was captured in France by the Allies. Having been previously wounded on the Eastern Front, he was advised by a doctor to take a train to France. It was commonly known among the German army that German prisoners of war would receive better treatment from the British or the Americans than from the Russians. After his capture, Heinzl (prisoner number 31 G- 74923) was taken to England where he spent a week doing voluntary work in a prison camp, before sailing in what he described as a "floating city" of over 200 ships bound for the United States. When he and the other prisoners disembarked thirteen days later at a detainment camp in New York City, they were processed and given, in Heinzl's opinion, fair treatment by their American captors. He noted especially the three meals a day they received as compared to two meals a day on the ship. After a railroad journey lasting several days, Heinzl arrived at what would be his home for the remainder of the war, Camp Ogden, Utah. 1 Between 1943 and 1946, over 350,000 young German soldiers shared Heinzl's experience. Captured in North Africa and Europe, then shipped across the Atlantic, these prisoners were further sent by train to various points throughout 40 of the 50 states. The prisoners were interned, for the most part, in remote locations near industries and farms, where they could provide much needed labor. The irony that they replaced a workforce that was overseas, fighting the very Axis armies to which they belonged, was not lost on the prisoners. The POWs were, for the most part, happy to work. Their only other option 1 Alois Heinzl, interview by author. 9 May 2001, DroJ3, Lower Austria, tape recording. 2 was to spend endless days with nothing to occupy the indefinite period of time before repatriation. During these years of captivity, many monumental military occurrences took place, but POWs on both sides experienced a strange sort of deviation. The world was still at war, but these men were removed from what had been their sole purpose for the last few years. Relieved from fighting, yet not permitted to go home, they were vulnerable to loneliness and depression. The potential for lethargy was one thing the United States government tried to combat in its prisoner of war program. The prisoners had little to occupy their time outside of labor detail and had no idea when they would be sent home. Even more menacing to the American captors was the potential for uprisings or escape attempts, schemes that could easily materialize when a group of enemy soldiers had too much time on their hands. Finding leisure occupations for the POWs, although seemingly frivolous in wartime, was actually a matter of security as well as fair treatment. One particular aspect of the care and treatment of German POWs worthy of attention was the fulfillment of their spiritual needs. Part of the Geneva Convention of 1929 required that prisoners be permitted to worship as they chose. The United States government intended to adhere to this stipulation and enlisted the assistance of leading national church bodies as well as international relief organizations, to provide for the prisoners' spiritual needs. Since the perception of their captors was that many of these men had not encountered religion for over a decade, the POW camps were a crucial field for mission 3 work. Churches and clergy in the United States, which witnessed the influx of German prisoners into their communities, could not resist the apparent call to bring these "Nazis" back to Christ. Whereas Nazism and Fascism were associated with atheism and agnosticism, many people in the United States coupled democratic principles with Christianity.